Such a method of operation and the corresponding conveyor device are known to the person skilled in the art.
After rolling of bar-shaped products, the products are cooled down on a cooling bed of a rolling mill. Afterwards, groups of products are strapped into bundles. The bundles are then sent to storage or directly to a customer. It is important to know the number of products in the respective bundles, e.g. for purposes of tracking material or for satisfying customer orders.
In the conveyor devices of the prior art, counting of the products is achieved by mechanical counting devices. Mechanical counting devices are relatively slow and unreliable. Furthermore, they are subject to wear.